I have had good success with the way my grandmother taught me: Boil bean for 5 to 10 minutes,take from fire (turn off stove) and cover the bean port ,I even cover with an old blanket to retain heat ,and let it sit without need for fire,for 4 to 5 hours... restart and boil/simmer(add meats or spices) for one hour and test as some dry beans take a bit longer to fully cook. This saves fuel and cooks in much less time involved.

I would 'can' cooked beans with as little oxygen in the jars and avoid light and heat for up to six months storage time but I cheat and buy factory canned beans as I can't even beat the cost of, longer storing, factory cooked and canned beans that store years longer than the 'best by date' and require little effort to cook and consume and I have consumed canned (in a real can) store bought beans well over 5 years beyond the 'best by' date code with no noticeable loss of texture,color,or taste I buy then when on sale and usually many cases at a time often for under 30 cents a can. I believe in taking advantage of technology while it is available and find it economical at the same time.

Note that I do have seeds available for when I must grow what I eat but see little reason with current supply so available. I find commercially canned goods acceptable trade off with the availability and economy of factory canned good though also will cook from dried stock when I have time ,and fuel,or when the BOL needs a bit of heat and humidity added.

NOTE that any added fats should not be in the beans as it can really cause jar/seal problems as well as lower storage times...this is why the factory beans are easier and lower cost for my needs. I might suggest a wax seal for longer term storage of home canned products and have used canning wax ,actually paraffin, to keep product fully sealed from air and better storage times.

I have consistently had good results in using beans that are well beyond the normal storage range... However, I always pressure can the beans in jars using Jackie Clay's method (dry beans, salt and boiling water in the jar... then pressure can). I've been using up beans that my parents had in their basement for well over 7 years (no long-term storage method -- just the original burlap bag) and they are fine as long as I pressure can them. Once that is done, I just pull jars of beans for the various recipes and have no issues. In fact, it is time to can more, I think. We are out of my canned black beans on the shelf.

I have consistently had good results in using beans that are well beyond the normal storage range... However, I always pressure can the beans in jars using Jackie Clay's method (dry beans, salt and boiling water in the jar... then pressure can). I've been using up beans that my parents had in their basement for well over 7 years (no long-term storage method -- just the original burlap bag) and they are fine as long as I pressure can them. Once that is done, I just pull jars of beans for the various recipes and have no issues. In fact, it is time to can more, I think. We are out of my canned black beans on the shelf.

Though we don't have any beans now over about 2 years, I'll look up that method.. Thanks for sharing.

I have consistently had good results in using beans that are well beyond the normal storage range... However, I always pressure can the beans in jars using Jackie Clay's method (dry beans, salt and boiling water in the jar... then pressure can). I've been using up beans that my parents had in their basement for well over 7 years (no long-term storage method -- just the original burlap bag) and they are fine as long as I pressure can them. Once that is done, I just pull jars of beans for the various recipes and have no issues. In fact, it is time to can more, I think. We are out of my canned black beans on the shelf.

The boiling water and extended pre-soak ,while 'canned' in the jars sounds like a great way to success and it allows for less cooking time!

I have consistently had good results in using beans that are well beyond the normal storage range... However, I always pressure can the beans in jars using Jackie Clay's method (dry beans, salt and boiling water in the jar... then pressure can). I've been using up beans that my parents had in their basement for well over 7 years (no long-term storage method -- just the original burlap bag) and they are fine as long as I pressure can them. Once that is done, I just pull jars of beans for the various recipes and have no issues. In fact, it is time to can more, I think. We are out of my canned black beans on the shelf.

I have googled with no success of Jackie's method. I've found references, but not an actual *here's how I do it*.

I have been happy with the can beans from Walmart and other brands as I don't want the hassle of canning when I can buy at such low cost and I pretty much ignore the 'best by' dates though I like the ones with salt added as I think they may store longer UNLESS can gets dented as they are lined pretty good.